Cold
by Romona-Rain
Summary: In which Percy is sick and dying in a hospital and Annabeth visits him. {ONE-SHOT, MORTAL AU}
**Another Percabeth au because why the heck not.**

 **Enjoy :)**

The hospital was cold.

Not just in temperature, either- feelings of doubt and fear and pain were evident in the faces around her.

All around her, the seats in the waiting room filled with crying people, little children's faces buried into their mother's arms as their bodies racked with sobs, the mothers stroking them with tears in their eyes as well. Stone-faced people who, despite their façade, were crumbling on the inside. Nervous people, on the verge of a breakdown, trying to keep it together as their family and friends held their hand reassuringly.

Annabeth herself was cold, and she bundled her coat tighter around her body in a futile attempt to keep away the chills in the air. Her boots echoed in the room as she walked briskly up to the front desk.

"Jackson, Percy," she told the woman behind it, who was busy typing on the computer. _Nurse Davidson,_ the name tag read.

The nurse gave a slight nod to show she heard, then typed a few more things into the computer.

"Room 301," she said, her voice flat and her eyes unfeeling. "Third floor, first room to your right."

"They moved him," Annabeth said, trying not to show her surprise to the unsympathetic nurse.

"Yes," was the only reply she got.

Deciding not to press the matter, she left, moving as fast as possible without seeming rude in order to escape the waiting room's terrible atmosphere.

She passed several doctors along the way, giving them a polite wave but other than that never acknowledging anyone else's presence.

When Annabeth reached his room, she was greeted by a familiar face.

"Oh," the blonde said, stopping short. "Hello, Thalia."

Thalia Grace sat outside of Room 301, smoking a cigarette despite the very big and obvious _NO SMOKING_ sign by the elevator.

Annabeth took note of this fact, knowing that Thalia only ever smoked or did anything similar to her mother when she was upset.

"Hey, 'Beth," came the raspy voice of her close friend.

"Do you know why they moved him?"

Thalia looked up, the rings under her dulled blue eyes more evident than ever.

"He's not getting any better, 'Beth. They needed him closer to the main room."

Annabeth's heart stilled a bit before continuing to beat, and she swallowed her pain and continued to pester Thalia.

"Is he getting worse?" Annabeth already anticipated the answer she got, but she was still disappointed and filled with sorrow when she heard it.

"...Yeah. In fact, I don't think he'll...live much longer."

"I just...I can't bear to see him like that, you know?" Thalia's voice cracked, and she took and extra long draw of the cigarette as if trying to choke her words. "I just decided to stay out here...I've already visited him, but I can't find it in myself to leave."

Thalia's eyes were clouded, her cheeks sallow, and her face forlorn. It was a big difference from two years ago, when those sad eyes were fierce and determined, those cheeks, though sharp, more filled-in and her face wasn't constantly feeling the weight of misery.

Then again, Annabeth supposed she didn't look much better. Percy's sickness had taken a big toll on them both.

"Yeah….I know. I'll- I'm going….I'm going to go visit him now, Thals. Just….spend time with him while I can. I'll see you around."

With that, she opened the door and slipped in, not bothering to hear Thalia's response.

This room was different than the room Percy had resided in before. This room was colder than outside in the bare halls, this room was stripped of all warmth and love- the only heated, living thing that was in 301 was Annabeth and….Percy.

A nurse hovered over him, fussing with him murmuring words Annabeth couldn't quite catch.

"Erm-" she said, drawing the nurse's eyes to her.

"Oh, Miss Chase. I was just discussing with Mr. Jackson his..condition, and we've, well- I'll just-erm...You've got seven minutes," the nurse finally said, and brushed by Annabeth with several strides.

Annabeth smiled a bit when she heard Thalia's indignant shriek ("Do I look like I give a damn about smoking?").

She turned her attention to Percy, who was at first covered from her view by the fussy nurse.

He lay on a bed that was shoved in the corner, deathly pale and shivering.

"Hey, Wise Girl. Looking as beautiful as ever," he said when he noticed her. She blushed, despite having received that greeting for around three years.

"Hi," Annabeth said, and moved over to him then sat on the corner of the bed, near his feet.

Surprise, surprise- the sheets were cold.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him tentatively, watching her lover cautiously for any signs of fatigue.

Percy snorted, drawing her eyes toward his mouth. "How do I feel? Are you some sort of therapist now? I've got cancer- I'm not crazy."

When he spotted her frown, he smiled a bit and rephrased his words. "Look, Wise Girl- both you and I know this might as well be the last time I can say this. Hell- I think it is."

"Don't-" Annabeth whispered, her grey eyes prickling with unshed tears.

"Don't what? Don't talk like that? I'm only speaking the truth- oh, don't look at me that way, you know it's going to happen."

She gripped his hand firmly but gently, and he gripped it back. She would normally treat him more carefully, especially these days, but the way he was talking scared her.

Percy's smile was thin but genuine. _Ever sarcastic_ , Annabeth thought with a pang.

"I just-" she began,looking into his eyes. "I just can't bear to see you like this, Seaweed Brain."

"Like how?" Percy asked, some of his thinning black hair falling into his sea-green eyes.

His pulse was beginning to slow, and Annabeth looked at him worryingly. He noticed her distress and offered a smalls shrug.

"Like you've given up. You can't give up- you can still _live_ -" she told him, and he interrupted her with a roll of his eyes.

"God, Wise Girl- I haven't _given up,_ I've just accepted what's going to happen. I'm not going to live- really, and….I suppose this would be the time to say a few things, but I'll keep it short and simple: I love you."

Annabeth inhaled sharply and turned away, still clutching his hand.

He'd told her before- through actions and subtle kindnesses that he saved only for her- but never out loud or so straightforward.

"Oh, Percy. I- you...You just _can't_ say that. Not now... _God_ , you've always got some sort of kick out of saying things that catch me off guard. Like that time when you proposed- In front of my _father,_ too! Really, was that necessary. And that time when you told Piper how much Jason liked her when she was getting her teeth pulled. Of course...They've never been _bad_ things you've said...never bad things."

The tears she'd held back were freely flowing down her face now, and she made no move to stop her crying. She still gripped his hand, and she didn't dare turn around and expose this weakness when she had to stay strong for him.

"You can't say bad things, not really. You're such a good person- so nice, and clever too- though I may tell you otherwise. And you always put others first- like when you saved that little girl from getting run over- you were so brave. And it's been little things, too- but I've noticed...Like when that boy dropped his ice cream and you paid for his...or when you slept on the freezing floor and let Hazel have your bed when she was kicked out."

Annabeth was on a roll, now- she couldn't stop. The only good thing about this crying was how her tears, though salty, warmed her face.

"And all your little quirks- the way you stick your tongue out a bit when you skate, the way you crack your knuckles when you're anxious, and how you run your hands through your hair when you feel any sort of emotion."

Her attention was focused on the white, bare walls opposite Percy- if she looked at him, her resolve would break.

"You have your flaws, I'll admit. You can be a stubborn ass when you want to be, and when you're angry, I know you break a lot of things- but you aren't a bad person, no. Despite all that's happened to you- Gave, your mom...passing, your dad leaving you….you've stayed strong and didn't let it affect how you treated others."

Percy had yet to respond- he seemed to be thinking quietly to himself, but even if he wished to talk, Annabeth had already continued on.

"And I can be so _mean_ sometimes, and I'm just so glad I have you to balance out my anger. I've had it bad, but you've had it worse, and I'm just glad you've stayed who you are through it. After Luke, and my dad and mom….I'm so grateful you were there for me. You are my everything and I know I'm rambling but I guess...I guess this whole speech was about..I just...what I wanted to say was...I love you too."

Her words bounced off the walls and buried themselves somewhere into Annabeth's heart- she'd been dying to say this the day he'd proposed.

It was only after a minute of silence that Annabeth realized his hand was cold.

She whipped around, breathing heavily and panicked, then let out a cry when she laid her eyes upon Percy.

His sea-green eyes, normally filled with life and swimming with secrets, were now glazed and staring unseeingly at nothing.

She let out another cry when she noticed that she was holding his hand- his fell limply into her grip...he must have stopped holding back sometime in the middle of her speech.

She dropped it and it hung off the side of the bed, swinging slightly.

 _Nonononononononono-_

"Oh god," she sobbed. "Oh God oh God oh my _God_."

She grabbed the ' _Call Nurse_ ' button attached to the bed and pressed it robotically, sobbing and caressing her fiancé's face.

Annabeth was vaguely aware of nurses streaming through the door, vaguely aware of Thalia pulling her into a tight embrace- but she felt nothing.

Slowly, her tears stopped, until Annabeth was left standing stock-still in Thalia's arms.

The unbreakable girl, who just spilled out her secrets to a dead man, was broken.

Her grey eyes hardened with an unfamiliar feeling, yet at the same time she felt devoid of any emotion.

Her heart was cold.

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **I realized I've yet to write a Percabeth angst fanfic, so here it is!**

 **In this, I'd say they're around 19-21. They aren't married, but they're engaged/fiancés.**

 **Hope you liked it, and thanks for reading!**

 **~Brynn**


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